There are well over 25 million addicts in America. Every addict significantly impacts the lives of at least four people, which means that well over 100 million people in our society are impacted by the devastating results of addiction and are in search of hope and healing. At some point the addicted will look instinctively to our local churches for answers. In order to reach them, we must be ready to minister to the addicted and their families.

• Addiction by one definition is “to cause to become physiologically or psychologically dependent on a habit-forming substance.” • Addiction by another definition is “to occupy oneself or involve oneself in something habitually or compulsively.” • Addiction is an unnatural obsession with anything other than God. • Addiction is any appetite on a binge. • Addiction is anything you continue to do knowing it is harmful for you. • Addiction is a disorder caused by sin. • Addiction is anything that brings you into spiritual bondage. • Addiction is being under the rule of anything other than the Holy Spirit. • Addiction is anything to which I run to meet my needs apart from God. • Addiction is any coping mechanism I use to deal with disappointments. • Addiction is any sin, because all sin is addictive.

The word “ADDICTED” is found only one time in the Bible. I Corinthians 16:15 refers to those that “addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints.”

Galatians 5 illustrates 4 different manifestations of addictive behaviour:"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." – (Galatians 5:19-21)

Immorality – “adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,”

NOTE: Addiction reveals itself in many forms of immorality, including, but not limited to: pornography, sex outside marriage, and homosexuality.

Idolatry – “idolatry, witchcraft,”

NOTE: Addiction is a worship disorder. Idolatry is when the object of our worship is something or someone other than God. Witchcraft comes from the Greek word “pharmakeia,” which deals with the use of drugs to alter one’s behaviour.